Four species of dog-like carnivores, including the spotted, brown and striped hyenas. Spotted hyenas are powerful hunters as well as scavengers, living in large, female-led clans.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Spotted hyenas are usually shy around people, but they do occasionally prey on humans, and attacks are likely under-reported.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mainly nocturnal, sometimes out in the early morning.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia
HabitatGrassland, Scrub, Desert
ColoursBrown, Spotted
SizeLarge
Length95–150 cm (spotted hyena)
Weight45–80 kg (spotted hyena)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inclans
Lives for12–25 years
Can swim
In the wild
- What it eats
- Meat, whether hunted or scavenged. Bone-crushing hyenas can eat the bones too.
Did you know
Clans are led by females, which are larger than the males and dominate them.
Spotted hyena society is matriarchal: females are larger than males and dominate them.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
